There is plenty of buzz these days about celebrities running for political office — and about former President Donald Trump’s affinity for athletes and entertainers.
Of the 24 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients awarded by Trump between 2017 and 2021, 14 — a clear majority — were athletes or coaches. One, Elvis Presley, was an entertainer.
Trump has already endorsed former football star Herschel Walker in the 2022 Georgia Senate race against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, even though Walker, a Republican, has plenty of personal baggage to lug around.
The former president has not yet made an endorsement in the Pennsylvania Senate race, but that hasn’t stopped “celebrity surgeon and television personality” Mehmet Oz from entering the contest. Oz faces a crowed field in a primary that includes David McCormick, the CEO of a large investment management firm who has deep pockets and a long list of endorsements.